Cord-take-up device



Sept. 8, 1925.

A. WELLS CORD TAKE -UP DEVI CE Filed June 21 Patented Sept. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES ARTHUR WELLS, OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA.

COBD-'I'AKE-UI? DEVICE.

Application filedvJune 21, 1921. Serial No. 479,232.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1,'ARTHUR WnLLs, a ct- .izen of the United States, and a resident of Glendale, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, 'have i vented certain new and useful Improvement in (lord-Take- Up Devices, of Which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to signals of the character used on motor Vehicles to indicate to others the intention of the driver of the vehicle of turning to the right or left, slowing down or stopping the vehicle. The invention relates more particularly to a type of signal having a lanp adapted. to be Worn on the drivers arm or hand and adapted to be illuminated only When the driver extends his arm from the side of the vehicle for the purposeof signaling.

An object of the invention is to provide a device of this character Which will consume electric current only When the signaling motions are bein made.

Another ob]ect is to produce a device of this character of comparatively simple construction and one which is operated by the usual motions of the 'driverlsarm as required by the trafic laws of certain States for indicating the direction of turning of the vehicle.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention: 1

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a direction signal embodying the inveution, the same being shown as it is preferably connected With the steering column of the Vehicle, said column being fragmentarily shown.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the lainp housing.

Figure 3 is a rear view thereof,

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectionai elev, tion of the reel, its mounting and associated parts Figure 5 is a sectional elevation of tne ccl. on the line indicated by m5, Figure d.

The lamp housing will first be descr`` There is provided a tubular member 1 c at its front end by a transparent Wine lens 2 of giass or other suiteble material J- erabiy a ruby or amber glass. The rear .of the'member 1 ie closed by a curved ber 3 to the back of' the wrist of 'the drr r, edges of the menber 3 is by .the :member 3 is releasably drivers hand or Project-ing into the member 1 is a lamp socket 5 provided with an electric bulb 36, the light from Which is adapted to Shine through the lens 2. The cable carrying the electric current to the lamp socket 5 is indicated at 6 and said cable is normally wound upon a reel indicated in general by the character 7, which reel is constructed as follows: The drum of the reel is indicated at 8 and carries the cable 6. One end of the drum 8 forms a sprirg chamber 9 in which is housed a spiral sprin 10 that is fastened at one end by a pin 11 to the perpheral wall of the Spring chamber and at its other end by a pin 12 to a stationary shaft 18 upon which the drum 8 is rotatably mounted, the bearings for said drum being indicated at 14, 15, respectively. The cable 6 is wound on the drum by the tension of the Spring 10, said 1 Spring being under practically no tension when the cable is almost Wound up, and. the Spring being put under tension by drawing the cable from the drum.

One `of the wires of the cable passes through one end of 'the drum and is insulated therefrom at 16 and is connected With an electric contact 17 which is fastene'd to the adacent end of the drum and Which is insulated therefrom by insuiation 18. Engaging the contact 1? is a brush 19 of Spring material fastened by a screw 20 to a suitable base 21 of insulating material. Mounted in the base 21 and connected with the brush 19 is a binding post 22 to which is connected a wire 28 from a suitable source of electric current., The other wire of the oable passes through 'the other end of the drum and is insuiated therefrom at 24: and. is connected with an electric contact 2 pcstioned at one endof the drum and fastened thereto. The contact 25 is insulated from the drum by insulation 26. v

Froiiecting axially from the 8 the acent the contact 25 is a tubular screw 2? engaged by a 28 which carries a ?Li-shape electric contact 29, the free end. of said contact being disposed between the nut 28 and the contact ieinber 25 being mally out of .engagement with the conta When. the ni o tation of the nut 28 so that it Will travel along the shaft 27 When said shaft is turned, said nut is inounted on .a yielding leg 30 Which, in this particular instance, is formed by an extension of the contact 29 so as to carry electric current to said contact. The leg 30 is mounted on the base 21 by a screw 31 and projecting from the leg 30 into the base is a binding post 32 to Which the other Wire 33 from the electric current source is fastened. WVhen the nut travels toward the drum it moves the contact 29 against the contact 25, thus switching the electric current to the cable 6.

The shaft 13 is supported at its opposite ends by standards 34 Which 'are fastened by nuts 35 to the base 21.

The invention operates as follows: The parts being arranged as in Figure l, the driver slips his left hand betweui the member 3 and elastic 4 with the bacli of his hand i toward the member 3. thus secui-.ng the lamp housing to his hand. Or, if desired, the housing may be slipped upon the` forearm. It is, of course, asssumed in this instance that the vehicle is a left hand drive. The Wires 23, 33 Will be connected to a battery or other electric current source. If the driver desires to make a turn or stop the vehicle, he Will indicate this by extendng his arm in the usual manner, that is to say, for example, if he desires to make a left turn, he Will extend his left arm horizontally from the vehicle. This movenent, or any other movement in Which he extends his arm from the vehicle, operates to wit-hdraw the cable 6 from the drum 8, thus rotating the drum and Winding the Spring 10. The tension of the Spring maintains the cable taut. ltotation of the drum 8 turne the screW shaft'27 Which, in this instance, is provided With a right hand thread. Turning of the screw shaft 27 causes the nut 28 to move toward the drum, thereby carrying the contact 29 into engagement With the contact 25, thus closing the electric circuit through the lainp 36 and causing the said lamp to he illuminated. Thus it is clear that there are provided means operative by extension of the drivers arm to close the electric circuit through the lamp. A driver of a car to 'the rear will thereupon not-ice the signal light and the nosition of said light Will indicate to the driver in the rear whether the vehicle in msaries front is about to turn to the right or left or come to a stop.

As soon as the turn or stop has been executed, the driver making the signal Will flex and withdraw his arm, thus pernitting the spring 10 to turn the drum in a reverse direction to automatically Wind up the cable 6; and at the same time turning of the drum 8 Will cause the nut 28 to travel away from the drum so as to retract the contact 29 from the contact 25 and break the circuit through the lamp 36.

It is to be noted that When the driver is not in the act of signaling With his arin the hand bearing the lamp housing may be used for controlling the steering Wheel in the usual manner, there being sufiicient slacl in the cable 6 When the spring 10 is under no tension to enable the driver to freely use his signal bearing hand upon the steering Wheel Without discommoding him or preventing free movement of his hand in the steering of the vehicle. The reel operates to maintain the cable 6 taut- When the driver extends, flexes and Withdraws his arm, thus insuring against the cable becoining tangled or caught on any part of the car.

I claiin as my invention:

1. In a cord`take-up device, the combination of a rotatably mounted drum, a. Spring, means operative by rotation of the drum in one direction to wind the Spring, a screw shaft driven by rotation of the drum in the reverse direction, a pair of electric contacts, and a nut engaging the screw threads of the shaft, one of said contacts being operatably connected With the nut for movement relative to the other contact by turning of the shaft.

2. Tn a cord take-up device, the combination of a rotatably inounted drum, a Spring, means operative by rotation of the drum in one direction 'to Wind the Spring, a screw shaft driven by rotation of the drum in the reverse direction, a nut engaged by the threads of the shaft an electric contact a second electric contact movable by travel of the nut in opposite directions toward and from the first contact, and an electric cord on the drum having one of its wires connected with the first contact.

Dated this 2d day of J une 1021.

ARTHUR WELLS, 

